Private Detectives and Investigators salary by state
The median private detectives and investigators in the United States earned $52,370 a year in 2024, about $25.18 an hour. Across the 43 states reporting the occupation, pay runs from $77,320 in Oregon down to $39,460 in Mississippi.
Protective service SOC 33-9021
What the spread means
Pay for this occupation varies enormously by location. Oregon pays roughly 2 times what Mississippi does for the same job title, which is a wider gap than most occupations show and usually points to differences in licensing, unionisation or the industries that employ these workers in each state.
A high median is not automatically a better deal. States that pay well for this work are frequently expensive places to live, and the same salary buys very different amounts of housing and energy depending on where it is earned. The state pages linked below carry electricity, gas and housing figures for the same places.
Highest paying states
Lowest paying states
Where the work is concentrated
Location quotient compares how common an occupation is in a state against how common it is nationally. A value of 2 means the state employs twice the national share of these workers. It is a better guide to where the jobs actually are than the raw count, which mostly tracks state population.
| State | Concentration | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 1.85× | 890 | $43,390 |
| Florida | 1.53× | 3,780 | $48,880 |
| Idaho | 1.4× | 300 | $48,170 |
| Minnesota | 1.29× | 940 | $72,070 |
| Mississippi | 1.28× | 370 | $39,460 |
Every state
| # | State | Median salary | Hourly | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employed | vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $77,320 | $37.17 | $43,310 | $97,500 | 480 | + 47.6% |
| 2 | Maryland | $74,360 | $35.75 | $41,580 | $132,340 | 560 | + 42% |
| 3 | Illinois | $73,070 | $35.13 | $40,710 | $98,800 | 1,770 | + 39.5% |
| 4 | Minnesota | $72,070 | $34.65 | $42,220 | $101,950 | 940 | + 37.6% |
| 5 | Connecticut | $68,290 | $32.83 | $38,680 | $89,580 | 400 | + 30.4% |
| 6 | Washington | $65,370 | $31.43 | $43,510 | $100,890 | 840 | + 24.8% |
| 7 | Arizona | $64,960 | $31.23 | $38,580 | $110,850 | 980 | + 24% |
| 8 | California | $60,210 | $28.95 | $42,430 | $102,180 | 5,260 | + 15% |
| 9 | New York | $59,840 | $28.77 | $42,680 | $113,220 | 1,850 | + 14.3% |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $57,840 | $27.81 | $40,910 | $125,380 | 480 | + 10.4% |
| 11 | North Carolina | $55,190 | $26.53 | $36,150 | $99,550 | 1,370 | + 5.4% |
| 12 | South Carolina | $53,890 | $25.91 | $37,840 | $100,450 | 650 | + 2.9% |
| 13 | Nebraska | $52,160 | $25.08 | $39,920 | $92,170 | 130 | -0.4% |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $51,990 | $25.00 | $40,710 | $72,810 | 230 | -0.7% |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $51,610 | $24.81 | $38,000 | $79,940 | 100 | -1.5% |
| 16 | New Jersey | $51,540 | $24.78 | $40,350 | $100,910 | 790 | -1.6% |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $51,220 | $24.63 | $39,620 | $89,300 | 1,550 | -2.2% |
| 18 | Utah | $51,130 | $24.58 | $38,660 | $85,120 | 360 | -2.4% |
| 19 | Ohio | $50,060 | $24.07 | $36,950 | $80,290 | 1,360 | -4.4% |
| 20 | Colorado | $49,720 | $23.91 | $42,130 | $87,260 | 580 | -5.1% |
| 21 | Michigan | $49,700 | $23.89 | $36,230 | $87,760 | 980 | -5.1% |
| 22 | Delaware | $49,400 | $23.75 | $44,510 | $71,520 | 120 | -5.7% |
| 23 | Maine | $49,360 | $23.73 | $39,840 | $72,180 | 200 | -5.7% |
| 24 | Florida | $48,880 | $23.50 | $34,580 | $96,540 | 3,780 | -6.7% |
| 25 | Virginia | $48,740 | $23.43 | $34,690 | $103,910 | 900 | -6.9% |
| 26 | Idaho | $48,170 | $23.16 | $38,520 | $65,980 | 300 | -8% |
| 27 | Kentucky | $48,130 | $23.14 | $38,500 | $71,260 | 490 | -8.1% |
| 28 | Texas | $48,070 | $23.11 | $35,890 | $99,600 | 3,440 | -8.2% |
| 29 | Nevada | $47,550 | $22.86 | $40,250 | $187,200 | 420 | -9.2% |
| 30 | Alabama | $47,180 | $22.68 | $33,550 | $83,290 | 580 | -9.9% |
| 31 | West Virginia | $46,830 | $22.51 | $22,090 | $77,700 | 250 | -10.6% |
| 32 | Tennessee | $46,560 | $22.38 | $37,150 | $105,140 | 690 | -11.1% |
| 33 | Indiana | $45,400 | $21.83 | $36,930 | $80,910 | 560 | -13.3% |
| 34 | Iowa | $45,070 | $21.67 | $38,490 | $64,730 | 140 | -13.9% |
| 35 | Kansas | $45,020 | $21.64 | $34,000 | $64,990 | 270 | -14% |
| 36 | New Mexico | $44,870 | $21.57 | $36,020 | $67,250 | 190 | -14.3% |
| 37 | Georgia | $44,590 | $21.44 | $37,810 | $92,780 | 1,340 | -14.9% |
| 38 | Missouri | $43,780 | $21.05 | $37,130 | $68,330 | 450 | -16.4% |
| 39 | Louisiana | $43,390 | $20.86 | $35,350 | $70,170 | 890 | -17.1% |
| 40 | Arkansas | $43,310 | $20.82 | $35,350 | $109,010 | 360 | -17.3% |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $43,210 | $20.77 | $36,220 | $74,240 | 450 | -17.5% |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $40,470 | $19.46 | $36,420 | $63,980 | 320 | -22.7% |
| 43 | Mississippi | $39,460 | $18.97 | $27,790 | $91,830 | 370 | -24.7% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-09. Figures cover wage and salary workers and exclude the self-employed. Methodology
Frequently asked questions
How much does a private detectives and investigators make?
The national median is $52,370 a year, or about $25.18 an hour, as of the 2024 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey. Half of workers in the occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Which state pays private detectives and investigatorss the most?
Oregon, at a median of $77,320. Maryland ($74,360) and Illinois ($73,070) follow. Pay that looks high often reflects a high cost of living rather than a better deal, so it is worth reading alongside what housing and energy cost in the same state.
How many people work as private detectives and investigatorss?
About 38,170 across the states reporting the occupation, against a national estimate of 38,700.
Is this figure a salary or an hourly rate?
Both are published. BLS surveys employers rather than workers, so these are wages paid rather than wages reported by employees, and they exclude self-employed people. Annual figures for occupations that are typically part-time or seasonal should be read with that in mind.